Spooling machine



March 13, 1945. J. E. PIERCE 2,371,184

SP OOLING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1942 I 4 fix '5' ws 14 4 10 I I I 6 v j u- I l NVENTQR Jame; L. Pierce JUOLNEYA Patented 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE alum sroomm mom James E. Pierce, Bay Ci y- M101!- Application A ril 1a, 1942, 86118] No. 43am 1 Claim. (or 242-28) This invention relates to apparatus for spooling filaments or cordage, and, more particularly, to apparatus for spoolingv a pluralityof plastic filaments directly from multiple filament extruders.

It is usual practice in the plastics art to extrude a plurality of filaments, sometimes as many as 15 to 20 or more, on to a take-up drum and then spool the individual filaments from the large take-up drum on positively driven spools. Some direct spooling isalso done from extrusion equipment, likewise utilizing positively driven spools. In either event. considerable difiiculty is experienced because the individual spools must be rotated at identical speeds in order not to pull more on one thread than on another. Even this does not insure that there will be no breakage because the filament may build up in a slightly different manner on one spool than on another, and as the periphery ofthe thread roll becomes relatively large on the spool, the tension on individual threads will vary, causing breaks. Also each of the spools must be threaded before the machine can be started, and the machine must be stopped I a spool. The drums may be provided with a peif one thread brealss.v One of the particular utilities of plastic threads or filaments arises out of their availability in continuous lengths for use in braiding machines, etc., and considerable loss is occasioned in spooling operations.

It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide means whereby a plurality of individual threads may simultaneously be spooled without breakage. Another object is to provide an apparatus for simultaneously spooling a pluraiity of filaments which permits the individual spools to float on the line so that the various spools may be substantially full, substantially empty, or in any intermediate stage and yet each take the thread with substantially uniform low tension from a take-up drum or directly from an extruder. Other objects of the invention w appear as the disclosure of the apparatus proceeds.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan v view of a machine illustrating the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a part sectional elevation, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In general, the spooling machine which I have invented comprises a plurality of drums for carrying cordage spools therebetween and mounted on rotatable shafts; means tq rotate the shafts simultaneously; and, means to guide cordage upon ripheral groove to accommodate the projection on the core of a cordage spool so that the spools may rotate on the drums without bumping. Any convenient number of parallel rows of spooldriving drums may be employed andany suitable number of drums may be placed on each rotatable shaft. The shafts are all rotated in the same direction. The means to distribute the cordage over the core of each spool may include a reciprocating traverse bar carrying guiding eyes through which the cordage is led to each spool, the motion of the traverse bar being synchronized with the peripheral speed oithe drums so that the guiding eye is moved laterally the length of a spool core,v reversed, and moved laterally the length of the core in the opposite direction.

Referring now to the drawing, the spooling machine there illustrated includes a plurality of rotatable shafts 3 provided at one end with sprockets l which are driven by a chain 5 connected through suitable speed reducing means (not or drums in suitable alignment for supporting and driving spools I upon which the filaments 8 or cordage'are to be wound. The shafts 3 are so spaced apart from each other and the size of the driving drums 8 selected that the space between adjacent drums 8 on a line perpendicular to the axis of the respective shafts 8 is less than the diameter'of the hollow core of an empty thread spool I. Each drum I is provided with a centrally disposed peripheral groove to to accommodate a prong Ia on a cordage spool I, which prong is to catch and hold the end of a thread to be wound on a spool. Each spool I is mounted on a spindle I projecting through its hollow core, one end of the spindle 9 having a peripheral groove II resting in a fork I I. This peripheral groove ll prevents lateral movement of the spool spindle I along its axis and prevents the spool each of the spools so that it is uniformly disf m l n oi! the supportin drums in the supply. The cordage I is led on to-each oi the spools through a pigtail I! mounted on a reciprocating traverse bar." driven in synchronous relation to the peripheral speed of the spool-driving drums I. This speed relation is eflected through a chain-drive it from one of the spool carrying shafts 3 to a speed reducer II which actuates a uniform motion cam II adapted to operate a slotted pivoted lever arm I! attached at one end to the traverse bar It on which the pigtails I! are mounted.

To illustrate the use of my invention the following example is given: On a machine constructed substantially in accordance with that iilustrated in the drawing and having space for eight spools, six spools, each having an outside core diameter of 1%" and 6" between flanges, were placed between drums rotating at a periph- -eral speed of 175' per minute. A thread 01' Saran, 0.020 inch in diameter, was led continuously, as produced by extruding and stretching mechanism, at a linear speed of 150 feet per minute on to each of said spools. The traverse bar supporting the guiding pigtails was adjusted to move the thread laterally V8 inch for each revolution of the driving drums. When a spool was filled to the desired point with thread, the thread was cut, the end caught on the core prong of an adjacent empty spool already rotating on the .drums, and the tilled spool lifted from the drums.

amines It is not material in the operation of the machine whether the spools at any particular time are substantially empty or substantially full, since the spool floats on-the drums, because only gravity holds it down, and may turn slower than the drums so that a uniform low tension is maintained on the thread or filament from an extruder. The machine was also used to wind synthetic filaments from a master drum on which twelve threads had been simultaneously wrapped from a multiple orifice extrusion die. Thousands of pounds of synthetic filaments have been spooled in this manner with substantially no breakage.

I claim:

A spooling machine including: at least one v flanged cordage sp'ool provided with a prong on JAMES E. PIERCE. 

